Bamboo has become synonymous with eco brands - from yoga pants to toys to tableware.
But in a world of greenwashing, it makes sense to ask, why is bamboo the better option?
Especially when you’re trying to figure out which disposable nappy will be sitting against your baby’s skin 24/7.
Luckily we’re here to walk you through some of the deets - so grab yourself a cuppa and get comfy (koala) - see what we did there?
First, is plant-based and bamboo the same thing?
Yes and no, but mostly…no. Not at all.
Being plant-based is great - don’t get us wrong, but from an environmental and hypoallergenic perspective; not all plants are created equal.
Stinging nettle comes to mind. Plant = yes. Ideal nappy ingredient = not so much.
Nettle aside, unfortunately, a lot of ‘plant-based’ disposable nappies contain a lot of cotton which, in terms of sustainability, is significantly inferior.
Why? Cotton production uses a lot of land, a lot of intervention and 6-7 megalitres of water per hectare, which is INSANE! It’s a serious water guzzler. Unless that plantation is organic - chances are, pesticides and other chemicals have also played a pretty big part in the process.
On the other hand, bamboo uses less than one third of the amount of water cotton does. It’s also the fastest growing plant in the world - the Guinness Book of Records found some species can grow up to 91 cm per day. And, no - that’s not a typo.
Also, bamboo is a naturally regenerating grass, meaning it doesn’t need to be replanted each year. And most importantly, bamboo is hugely superior on skin - more on that below.
It’s also naturally;
- antimicrobial
- antibacterial
- and it doesn’t need pesticides or herbicides to thrive.
There are lots of great resources on this topic so we won’t go into too much detail here. We trust you’re already doing the research.
Although bamboo is a plant (aren’t you glad we clarified that) you won’t find bamboo products using generic terms like ‘plant-based’ because basically, sustainably sourced bamboo is better than cotton and most other naturally sourced materials.
There’s one other point that’s kind of important - when nappy companies say their nappy contains a ‘plant-based-mix,’ that’s a bit of a red flag for us.
Parents need to know exactly what’s inside the nappies they buy, it’s all about transparency - figuratively, not literally. Ew.
Let’s not get too caught up on the percentages
There’s a lot of talk about percentages in the world of eco-nappies. And it’s usually around two topics.
- What percentage of the nappy is plant-based?
- What percentage of the nappy is biodegradable?
We understand why these are massive talking points, and the answers do matter, they aren’t the only sustainability factors to take into account though.
Why? We have already talked about how not all plants are equal, but surely how biodegradable a nappy is matters, right?
Biodegradability matters - but it’s not the only important eco-issue
Biodegradability matters - and this is why we have developed a bamboo nappy with the highest biodegradability percentage on the market. AKA the best eco nappy around.
Independent testing with SGS Labs shows that 70% of our nappy breaks down after just 45 days, which is a huge improvement compared with the 300+ years it can take to break down a regular plastic supermarket nappy.
Our packaging is also rated AS 5810 home compostable which is the highest rating of biodegradability that exists. You can literally put it in your home compost or green bin, super cool - right!?
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So, if the maths works in our favour, why are we encouraging you to look past the percentages?
Because they’re only a small part of the picture.
The huge environmental impacts are actually found ‘upstream’
Yes, biodegradable nappies are better for the environment but what happens upstream is really where we should be turning our attention to.
From the moment the materials are planted, through production, packaging and distribution - all of these steps impact the environmental footprint. This is where most of the impact is made.
As a company, we get to micromanage every step of the journey before that box hits your front door, after that, it’s out of our hands.
Producing with bamboo offers massive upstream environmental benefits that you just can’t get with other plant-based materials.
And then there’s the sensitive skin factor (spoiler - bamboo wins)
Fun fact, when we developed Comfy Koalas our goal was to make an environmentally friendlier disposable nappy that worked well.
And we made every decision to serve these goals. But what we got was so much more. It turns out earth-friendly ingredients are much better for your baby’s skin (shocker, right?).
Who could have guessed that one of the biggest selling points would be the toxin-free, hypoallergenic properties of our nappies? Made possible by… you guessed it…bamboo.
Any parent who has ever had a child with nappy rash or sensitive skin knows that this is EVERYTHING.
Plant-based nappies containing cotton can’t offer the same hypoallergenic properties as bamboo can.
The premium bamboo is what helps us make our nappies sensitive skin and eczema safe, this is why we have been chosen to be official partners of Eczema Association Australasia (EAA) and we've been dermatologically tested (and passed with flying colours) for sensitive skin.
Perhaps the most important question for new parents; are bamboo nappies absorbent?
Ours are 😜
We would even go as far as to say that Comfy Koalas are the best overnight nappies in Australia holding up to 640ml of absorbency. Our customers agree.
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Did you know: At Comfy Koalas we have a Quality Fit Guarantee? We're committed to finding the perfect fit for your little one so we offer FREE returns and size exchanges. Simply email hello@comfykoalas.com.au
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